Activation of hydrogenation catalysts



United States Patent 2,941,954 ACTIVATION on HYDROGENATION CATALYSTS John B. Wilkes, Albany, Calif, assignor to California Research Corporation, San Francisco, Calif, a corpoinvention relates to a method of activating sulfurcon'tainin'g, low activity hydrogenation catalysts and, more particularly, to a method of activating cobalt and/or nickelmetallic hydrogenation catalysts which have been poisoned or otherwise rendered inactive by sulfur.

It has long been known that cobalt and nickel, or mixtures thereof, have valuable properties as non-destructive hydrogenation catalysts and are useful in the hydrogenation of various organic compounds. For example, such catalysts find rather extensive industrial use in the low temperature, high pressure hydrogenation of adiponitrile to hexamethylenediamine and phthalonitr-iles to xylylenediamines. However, one of the major problems affecting all of these hydrogenation reactions is the poisoning effect that sulfur has upon the hydrogenation catalyst resulting in rapid deactivation.

The usual approach to alleviating this sulfur poisoning is to pretreat the feed stocks to remove any sulfur present. Since spent hydrogenating catalysts can still remove sulfur compounds, they are often used in such a pretreating operation. However, any pretreatment of feed stocks involves not only additional equipment with attendant ad ditional cost and accordingly, would be desirable to eliminate from the processing scheme, but also, complete re.- moval of the sulfur compounds is not economically feasible. Therefore, many attempts have been made to reactivate hydrogenating catalysts, as by reduction with or Without oxidation, but all such attempts heretofore have failed .or have been only partially successful. "Due to this lack of success on reactivation, the usual procedure is to dissolve the spent catalyst in acid and repr'ejcipitate it in a purified form for reuse.

f Itl has now been found that inactive cobalt and/or nickel containing hydrogenating catalysts that may have been rendered inactive by sulfur poisoning, as distinguished from deactivation due to the deposition of carbonaceous material thereon, can be effectively reactivated to an activity either commensurate with or higher than that of fresh or sulfur-free catalyst. Such reactivation canbe accomplished by heating the catlyst in the presence of'an oxygen-containing gas under critical temperature conditionsfor a period of at least about one hour. Thus, it lias been found that the heating operation is conducted at'temperatures of from about 1200 to 1750 F., and preferably from about 1350 to 1600" F., that essentially complete reactivation of these particular hydrogenation catalysts results. 7

"'"The reactivation operation of the present invention is applicable to metallic cobalt and nickel (or combinations thereof) hydrogenation catalysts and is preferably employedinthe'activation of promoted (as by silica and the like):'or unpromoted unsupported catalysts such as Raney nickel and cobalt, pelleted cobalt and pelleted combinationsjof, nickel and cobalt, and reduced sintered cobalt and nickel oxides.

The activation reaction itself is conducted in the presence Qfzan oxygen-containing gas, preferably air, at a temperature in the range of from about 1200 to 1750 2 ,941,954 Patented June '21, 1960 .ICC

2 F. A more preferred temperature range is that from about 1350 to 1600 F. It has been found that activation temperatures below about 1200 F. are essentially ineffective even though extensive periods of contact time are employed. At temperatures above about 1775 to 1800 F., and this is particularly true in the case of cobalt-containing catalysts, disintegration of the catalyst occurs rendering it unsuitable for use. The most preferable activation temperature, for cobalt, nickel and combinations thereof, lies in the range of from about l350 to 1600 F., since it has been found that at these temperatures the catalyst attains a strength, reflected in its attrition resistance, greater than that obtainable from any other activation temperature or manner. The oxidation step is conducted for a period of at least one hour, the optimum period depending, of course, upon the amount of sulfur present on the catalyst and the oxidation temperature employed. Thus, when employing oxidation temperatures at the upper end of the specified range, as, for example, 1600 to 1750 F., less .contact time with the oxygen-containing gas is necessary than when temperatures of 1200 to 1300 F. are employed. Even when the higher temperature portions of the l200 to 1750- E. range. are used, contact times in excess of one hour are necessary when activating catalysts having comparatively high sulfur contents- There appears to be no upper linriton oxidation periods except those imposed by costs and'convenience, since periods in excess of 48 hours have been employed with salutory results.

A further aspect of the temperature-time relationship of the oxidation step is the fact that the activity of a sulfur poisoned catalyst can be restored to that commensuraite with.fresh,.unsullied catalyst by only removing a relatively small proportion of the sulfur initially present. Thus, it. has been found that by. oxidizing a poisoned pelleted cobalt catalyst at 1200 F. for 5 hours, the catalystregaind essentially all ofits activity (compared with its, initial activity as a fresh catalyst): While only removing 1 3 percent ofthe sulfur in the catalyst. By contrast, when the same poisoned catalyst is oxidized at 1 6 0Q F. for 3' hours, 42 percent of the sulfur was removed, and the activity and selectivity of the catalyst was greater than in its initial fresh state. Further, when the oxidation was extended to 1-5 hours at 1600 F., 81 percent of the sulfur was removed, and the reactivated catalyst had a greater activity than the fresh catalyst, but it was no greater than that attained by oxidation at 1600 F. for 3 hours. These facts indicate that reactivation is not solelybased upon sulfur removal, i.e., that the more sulfur removed, the more active the reactivated catalyst is. The answer probably lies in the-poisoning itself, namely, that. the sulfur permeates the entire catalyst and that oxidation reaction initiates on the catalyst periphery, re: moving the sulfur from the outer surface of the metal sulfide leaving a sulfur-free'active crust.

Although: the actua'l' mechanism of the activation step is notpositively: known, it is believed that the process involves air'oxidation ofthe metal sulfideto the sulfate andithermal decomposition of: the sulfate to sulfur tn'- oxide-and the'metal oxide. The latter is then reduced to the metal by conventional means, as, for example, by contacting the oxidezwvith hydrogenat 'a' temperature of from about 700 to 800 F. No criticality exists in the reducing step so long as the oxide is reduced-to the'metal in the absence of temperatures that would cause sinter- The activation process; of the present invention; can.- be, practiced. in any equipment capable of contacting hydrogenation reactor itself. In this manner, catalyst handling and process equipment art at a The catalyst activation process of the present invenof 25 parts by weight of isophthalonitrile, 45 parts per weight of xylene and 30 parts per weight of ammonia. A metaxylylenediamine yield of 79 percent was realized. The catalyst was then poisoned with ammonia sulfide.

tion, as i applied to various catalysts employed in the 5 The sulfur content of the catalyst was 0.291 weight perhydrogenation of isophthalonitrile to metaxylylenediamcent. A sample of this poisoned catalyst was then oxiine, is shown in the following examples. Unless otherdized in the presence of air in a heated tube for several wise noted, all of the hydrogenation reactionsdescribed hours at a temperature of from 900 to 950 F. Essenin theexamples were'conducted at a temperature of 250 tially no sulfur was removed by this oxidation, and the F. and a pressure of 3000 p.s.i.g. reduced catalyst, upon being employed under identical EXAMPLE 1 hydrogenation conditions as the fresh catalyst, yielded x essentially no metaxylylenediamine. The polsoned cata A pelleted cobalt hydrogeaatlon catalyst. made y p lyst was then oxidized for 18 hours at 1550 F. The leting a siptering cobalt mode at 1600" F" followed by sulfur content was reduced from 0.291 weight percent l'eductlon with hydrogen at temperature m to 0.017 percent, which amounted. to approximately 96 1 Was p y In the contmuolls x -be percent. This latter catalyst, after reduction with hydrohydrogenation of isophthalonitrile in a xylene solution gen at 00 F was h 1 d to lhydrogenate IPN and the P C 0f ammollia- The ys Was p under the identical conditions employed with the fresh onstbeam until it Was essentially inactive e to Sulfur catalyst except that the reaction time was 120 minutes. poisoning. Samples of thepoisoned catalyst were then 20 A MmA i ld f 833 percent was li y Th Subjectbd to air Oxidation in muflie furnace at Various under essentially the same hydrogenation conditions, the temperatures and Contact times and then. tested for activated catalyst gave over 4 percent better MXDA yield phthalonitrile hydrogenation in batch autoclaves under h the f h n catalyst the same conditions as those employed in the initial reaction using afresh catalyst. The results are given in the EXAMPLE 3 table below. The rate refers to the grams ofisophthalo- A cobalt catalyst was prepared from cobalt oxide by nitrile hydrogenated per cc. of catalyst per hour. The reacting reagent grade cobalt nitrate and ammonium terms IPN and MXDA refer to isophthalonitrile and carbonate promoted with silica, decomposing the resultmetaxylylenediamine, respectively. Run 1 is on fresh ing cobalt carbonate to the oxide, and thereafter pelcatalyst with all subsequent runs on poisoned catalyst. leting, sintering and reducing with .hydrogen. The

Table Activation Hydrogenation Run N0. Sulfur, Wt. Sulfur Temp., Percent Removal Rate gm. Weight Ratios, MXDA F. Time, Hrs. w IPNIoe IPNzXylener Yield,

Percent Hr. N H; Percent Initial Final (New Oata- 1'. as 27:54:18.4 03.2

a 0.177 0.177 0 .0 26:42:32 0 5 0.177 0.155 12.5 2.1 26:45:29 91.1 1.5 0.177 3.2 25:44:31 91.5 a 0.177 0.102 42.5 2.4 26:46:28 02.7 15 0.177 0.034 81.0 2.8 2s=45t20 93.8 15v 0.177 0.034 21.0 2.6 20=37=43 95.6 25 0.32 0.25 22.0 3.0 25:47:28 94.8

From the results indicated on the table it can be seen resulting pelleted catalyst was extremely poor in attrition that reactivation of spent cobalt hydrogenation catalysts resistance. Using the catalyst for isophthalonitrile hycan be accomplished to a point commensurate in scope drogenation at 250 F., 3000 p.s.i.g;, and a reaction time to fresh catalyst by observing the limitations of temperaof 65 minutes resulted in a metaxylylenedlamine ture and time hereinbefore discussed. Several other feayield of 90.7 percent. The feed was composed of 25 tures are brought out by these data. One such point is parts by weight of IPN, 44 parts by weight of xylene, that reactivation can be obtained even though very little and 31 parts by weight of NH3. The catalyst was then sulfur is removed. Thus, the poisoned catalyst is reacpoisoned with sulfur (0. Percent y Weight) and tivated to a high degree by only removing 12.5 percent jected to air oxidation at 1550" F. for 22 hours. The of the sulfur initially present (run 3), Another f t oxidation step reduced the sulfur cor tent 52.5 percent. is that increased metaxylylenediarnine yields can be had A feed Composed 26 P3118 y gb 45 Paris on reactivated catalyst by increasing the ratio of amy Weight xylene, and 29 parts by weight NH was then monia to isophthalonitrile in the xylene solution that hy r r reactivated catalyst for 64 constitutes the feed to the hydrogenation zone. This is utes- The MXDA Yleld ammm'ied to 9 P Q shown in runs 6 and 7. It will be noted that the ratio Which was greater than that Obtained y hydl'ogeflatlflg of NH zlPN in run 6 is about 1:1 and a yield of MXDA With the fresh Catalystof 93.8 percent is obtained. When the ratio is increased EXQ to about 2:1, the MXDA yield goes up to 95.6 percent. 65 MPLE 4 Accordingly, it is preferred to emploly higher NH alPN 'Three pounds of Bakers C.P. CoSO -7H Q were d1sratios with activated catalyst than in the case when fresh solved in 7.5 liters of water and heated, with stirring, catalyst is used. to 0. Two cc. of sodium silicate were mixed, with EXAMPLE 2 cc. of water, agitated vigorously, and to'this mixture An unsupported nickel hydrogenation catalyst was 70 a mtljlc and until w 1 made from technical green nickel oxide by pelleting and of P mime 3 then added to 9 3 sintering at 1 00 and th ft reducing with hydro. fate solution. Ammonium carbonate was added sl0w y gen at 300 F Th catalyst was l y d i an IPN to the C080,; solution until a precipitate formed that did hydrogenation run at 250 F. and 3000 p.s.i.g., for a rei re-dissblved g l- Then 590 grams more of V 75 ammonium carbonate were added to the C080,, soluaction time of minutes. Thefeed was composed tion and digested 30 minutes at 80-85 C. The solution was then filtered and the recovered precipitate was reslurried twice with 7-8 liters of water, and again filtered. The recovered filter cake was then dried on a steamplate, and further dried in amufiie furnace for 3 hours at 400 F. The cake was then ignited 3 hours at 800 "F. to decompose the carbonate to the oxide (374 grams). The oxide was then granulated by adding water plus 3.7 grams of sucrose and dried. The cake was then ground to pass a ZO-mesh screen, mixed with a lubricant (3% Sterotex) and pelleted to A-inch pellets. The pellets were then sintered 3 hours at 1600 F.

The catalyst was then reduced with hydrogen at 700 to 800 F. and used in the hydrogenation of isophthalonitrile at 250 F. and 3000 p.s.-i.g. The catalyst was extremely inactive inasmuch as essentially no metaxylylenediarnine was produced. The same catalyst was then oxidized in air at 1600 F. for 7.5 hours and employed in the identical hydrogenation reaction. The catalyst Was very active, having a hydrogenation rate commensurate with the fresh cobalt catalyst of Example 3 above.

I claim:

A process for the activation of inactive sulfurcontaining hydrogenation catalysts, said catalysts comprising predominant amounts of cobalt, which comprises heating said catalysts in an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature of from about 1200 to about 1750 F. under conditions, including a period of at least one hour, such that from 13 to 42 weight percent of the sulfur originally present has been removed from said catalysts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,362 Hanks et a1. June 27, 1933 2,220,849 Riblett Nov. 5, 1940 2,455,419 Johnson Dec. 7, 1948 

